As you may know I am running for the 62 State Representative District as a Democrat. What many of you may not know is that I have been serving my country in the military for the past 6+ years. During all those years of service, I have never once seen my efforts contribute meaningfully to my fellow Americans! I thought that was an appalling fact and felt it was my duty, my obligation through my oath of enlistment, to change that reality. This came to a stark realization during the Government Shutdown and the Sequester that followed negatively impacting millions of my countrymen, and thousands of my fellow servicemen! That is when I chose to make a difference, to make a change, and to right the wrongs of our current reality. I chose to give up my military career to pursue a political seat and truly fight for the American people directly!

The Joe’s United Foundation is just a natural evolution of that desire to serve my country, and help my fellow countrymen! The reason why it’s called “Joe’s United” when my name is obviously not Joe, is because we are all Average Joe’s in this country. It is the average working class American who makes this country run, it is the middle class and the working poor who are the ones putting in the 40­60+ hours a week to make sure we have: food, clothing, places to shop, places to eat, janitorial services, plumbing, teachers for our children, professors for our future generations, law enforcement to keep our cities safe, firefighters to keep our cities secure, EMT’s to keep our injured and sick alive, doctors to make sure we stay healthy, electricians to power our cities, plumbers to keep our water running, truck drivers to deliver and transport our goods, artists to keep our world beautiful, musicians to keep our hearts young, and so very much more!

We are the sole reason why this country is the “Greatest Nation on Earth”. Not our military might, not our education, not our technological advancements, not our economy, not our president, nor our government, but the American people of these United States of America! We the people make our military strong, our education great, our technological wonders coming, our economy booming, and our government shining! But it would seem that our leaders, our government, and those very same companies enjoying record profits have forgotten how exactly they got to where they are today: through our hard work, our enacit, our sacrifice and dedication.

This led me to think of ways to convey my ideologies of leveling the playing field for the Average Joe, and bringing common sense back into our society and specifically government. Thanks to some brainstorming from a good friend of mine and fellow veteran, Aaron Graf, he suggested a non­profit organization. With some deeper thought and consideration of what it is the American people need, and what could benefit them the most while embodying something I believe in strongly, it finally made sense. Create a means to offset the cost of health care without undercutting the intended purpose or hurting the people who need it most!

Thus the Joe’s United Foundation was born! With a mere $5 monthly contribution from members going into a central pot of money, whenever any of those members need to use their insurance, they can do so with financial security knowing that for the first time in American history they will not need to incur additional out of pocket costs! For the first time in American history, a single payer health care system will exist in the form of this non­profit organization! For the first time in American history the common man can go to the doctor’s office to receive the treatment they need, covered by the insurance they have been legally bound to purchase, and not have to worry about sacrificing financial security to do so! That is what this Foundation stands for, it’s what I stand for, and it what this country stands for! Equality, opportunity, and hope for every American born or naturalized citizen in this great nation. This foundation restores the possibility of achieving the American Dream to so many more Americans than what is currently possible. In short, I can finally fulfill my oath to the American people.

Let us keep this momentum going, let us continue to show the naysayers, and our fellow countrymen that there is always a solution to a problem. Let us continue to prove that compassion and teamwork can accomplish much greater goals than struggling alone. Let us prove that the system at large doesn’t call the shots, that We The People still have a voice in our government, and especially our economy. That through our combined efforts we can overcome and persevere through these turbulent times without sacrificing any of our benefits or rights to do so! All it takes is your support, and your continued belief in what this country stands for. I cannot do this alone, this foundation cannot do it alone, and we have seen that we, as citizens, cannot do it alone. So let us stand together, building each other up, and achieve the impossible: prosperity, security, health coverage, and financial security for all! To put it bluntly: Together we can and we will make a difference!